Edwin Creer

“ Single knotting can be done rapidly with short hair, as in gentlemen’s wigs, but it is somewhat insecure, and, therefore, best avoided. Better be “slow and sure” at your work, than spoil it altogether merely to be quick. Strive at all times to execute good work, so that your employer may depend upon what you do, and all that emanates from the shop will, in consequence, bear the stamp of excellence. ”

“ Having drawn all the hair through to what is now the top, take a comb and “make a parting” the same as you would upon a lady’s head. Comb the hair smoothly on each side, warm the pressing-iron, and press into shape. Cut down, and the parting is made.
It is not reasonable to expect first attempts to afford much satisfaction, but procure a well-made parting and strive to imitate it by all the means in your power. With a good pattern, you may observe what can be done, and if you desire to enter the foremost ranks, you must endeavour to equal, if not excel others. ”

“ The good condition of hair is taken into consideration by professional hair merchants, for their very success in business depends on the unmistakably clean and glossy appearance of the article in which they deal. I would urge, therefore, all hairdressers who carry on a respectable trade, and are desirous of improving it, to purchase hair of first-rate quality only, and only to buy it of those who study to well prepare it for their use. ”

“ Those who know what witchcraft there is in handling a fan, what dexterity in the ‘nice conduct of a clouded cane,’ will imagine the wits and 161gentlemen of old did not suffer the wig to overshadow their temples with perpetual gloom, like the wreath of smoke which overhangs our Modern Babylon. And many a country squire must have tried in vain to catch the right toss of the head; to sport a playful humour in those crisp curls ”

“ The question can only be answered in the affirmative, because knotted work has very generally superseded it, but, I maintain, for a man to be clever in any trade or profession (and wig-making forms no exception to the rule) , he must be acquainted with all the rudimentary parts. To be well grounded in the first principles of an art is, other qualifications being equal, a sure precursor of success. ”

“ These preliminaries having been duly attended to, the parting and crown may now be put in position and sewn carefully, so as to avoid any wrinkles or puckering; it must lie flat, be perfectly smooth, and resemble the natural parting of hair as much as possible. Herein lies the art of the wig-maker—to imitate nature so skilfully that detection is almost impossible—a feat that is accomplished not unfrequently by some of the most skilful wig-makers of the day. ”

“ Fashion, of course, has much to do with the length of men’s hair, but you cannot make a wig or scalp with hair so preposterously short as is worn by many at the present time—that is out of the question. The real hair as well as the “false” should be sufficiently long to allow of one combining with the other. There ought not to be any division, and the length of the hair must, as a consequence, be taken into consideration. Whether a crown is to be put in, or a crown and parting, should next engage attention; also, whether the parting is to be in the centre, on the right, or left side ”

“ Scalps with entire Human Hair Foundations cannot be excelled for lightness and a natural appearance. They are made of any size and pattern, with perfectly secured edges, so that no galloon or springs are necessary. They only require to be well and properly attached to the block by means of basting-stitches, and carefully—I might say artistically—knotted all over, the crown, or crown and parting, being done as the work progresses. ”

“ A gentleman’s wig must be cut and trimmed after it is made, to adapt it to the style and taste of the wearer; it ought to fit easily in every part; and where springs are, no undue pressure should be allowed to exist. While the general appearance has to be well considered, the comfort of the wearer must always be kept in view.
The reader is, doubtless, fully aware that baldness is not confined to age, for some men lose their hair early in life. You may, without much trouble, find a bald-headed man at thirty, and it is perhaps as easy to discover a man at sixty with a fairly good head of hair. ”

“ Where strength and durability are concerned, probably nothing can be better than a well-sewn, woven scalp or wig; but when art steps in to closely imitate nature, and attempts to defy the keen glance of scrutiny, then both single and double knotting are brought into requisition. ”

“ As well might a person, after reading sundry works on music, and becoming acquainted with the significations contained therein, expect proficiency on a musical instrument, as for any one to think of making a wig after reading “how it’s done.” Proficiency in any art or trade can only be acquired by application and hard work. ”

“ In wig and scalp making there is plenty of scope for ability, ingenuity, and taste, for to insure success very much is left to the judgment of the maker, and to the carefulness and discretion of the wearer, so as to prevent his “secret” being discovered. I will give some working directions, with suitable illustrations, as I proceed, but for the present I am chiefly concerned in impressing certain leading points or features upon the mind of the learner, as success will greatly depend upon strict attention to minute details. ”

“ The best white silk cord (about the thickness of coarse 207thread) is sometimes preferred; it can be renewed when thought desirable, and is, further, soft to the head. This arrangement, then, being completed, a piece of skin, used for the purpose, can be attached to the side galloons, but is not required when the foundation is made of human hair. The skin should not be allowed to reach the front of the parting, and must be turned upwards and inwards, so as to present a neat and even appearance at the edge when the wig is taken off the block. ”

“ A calculation ought to be made first, and the appearance, age of wearer, and so forth taken into consideration. As a rule, the makers of wigs put too much hair in their manufactures. The lighter they are, the better. Still, sufficient hair must be used to cover them, and much depends upon the fineness of the weft. Weaving some thirty yards of weft is, no doubt, considered a task by many, but unless it is fine throughout, more hair than necessary is likely to be consumed. An ordinary weaver should do at least a yard of wig-weft an hour, but professed weavers would do much more than that. ”

“ When the cortical structure of the human hair is examined it is found to be jagged like the teeth of a saw, and it is owing to this imbricated arrangement that hair feels rough to the touch when the hand is passed from point to root. The serrated appearance of hair is produced through the outer layer, or cuticle, being composed of flattened cells, or scales, which overlap each other like the scales of fishes, only they are not so regularly placed. The medulla, also, consists of a number of cells, which can be seen in hair that has been steeped for a time in soda or potash. ”

“ Having got the hair well washed, and in regular order, you must now make a careful examination to see whether there are any nits. This is important, for the most clever piece of work is spoiled in the estimation of people in general, should they discover anything of the kind upon even one of the hairs. To imagine that a mixed quantity of raw hair can be perfectly free from parasitic indications is a mistake which no respectable hairdresser would allow to occur. ”